Runt
by imagination-running
Summary: How Hiccup goes from the stooped shouldered "talking fishbone" to the confident, leather-clad "great Dragon Master." An exploration of character development. Slight Hiccstrid. Minor Stoick/Hiccup bonding. One-shot.


Runt

Hiccup had been called many things in his life: mistake, runt, small, tiny, toothpick, fishbone, hiccup, useless. People loved to comment on his diminutive size, and he hated it. Some people, though, took it a step further and commented on how his size brought shame to his father. Those were fighting words. Everyone in the village knew it, too. They could comment all day long on Hiccup's size, and he would scowl, growl, turn away, sigh, and even back sass them, but that was a far as it went. The moment they brought family honor into it, however, and Hiccup would fist his hands and charge.

He never won, of course. He was always a fraction of the size of his peers, but he would put all his heart into his attack. He would do it to anyone, too. He took on Dagur, Dogsbreath, Lars, Camicazi, Snotlout, the Thorston twins (at the same time), and anyone else. There was even the memorable time he hopped on Toothless and charged Alvin and about twenty of his best fighting men. Really, it was a problem.

It was after the Alvin encounter that Stoick put his foot down and literally hired Astrid to train his son in weapons and defensive techniques. It was a terrible experience. He was hardly the most coordinated on land anyhow. Add to that a fake foot and a decided lack of upper body strength, and he felt like a newborn yak on ice as he stumbled around during every session. Regardless, three days a week, he limped home as bruised as last season's apples and more than a little humiliated.

Over time, however, he gradually improved. About three months into his training, Astrid decided to pit him against Gustav. Gustav, to no one's surprise, crowed and puffed his chest like a rooster issuing a challenge for a cock fight before Astrid had even banged her axe against her shield. When Gustav got in the first hit, he crowed even more, and Snotlout had laughed. Then, the heir heard Stoick's voice above them both cheering on his son, and Hiccup strengthened his resolve, firmed his stance, and within a few more minutes, had pinned a whimpering Gustav to the ground for the defeat. Tuffnut and Ruffnut had laughed and loudly reminded Snotlout that he was due at their house that afternoon to shovel dung out Barf and Belch's pen. He had groaned and stomped away, shouting that Hiccup beating Gustav did not mean that Hiccup had any skill or strength because Gustav was a wanna-be anyway. Hiccup's delight at finally winning a spar against anyone was quickly dissolved at hearing Snotlout's comments, despite Stoick and Astrid's praise.

HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE

Three months before Hiccup's seventeenth birthday, the growth spurt hit. All the other Riders had one about the same time, but none of theirs was as dramatic as Hiccup's, presumably because he had basically skipped the growing part of puberty, just getting a deeper voice and rush of hormones that ran in complete contradiction to his unusually small body. While he was happy to finally be getting some height and broader shoulders, he was a mess of flailing limbs for a few weeks. The worst part was that one part of one of those limbs simply did not grow, which made him all the clumsier. He stumbled over the too short leg or suddenly longer foot. He banged his head on more shelves than he could count. He elbowed people and things on a daily basis, and busted seams in his clothes more often than he cared to remember. He slept like a rock, going to bed early and only waking up when Toothless pulled him out in the mornings. He ate as if he had never before encountered food. In fact, the villagers took a great delight in telling him that he wasn't going to regrow that foot by eating the entirety of Berk's stores in a month. He was constantly annoyed, embarrassed, in pain, or some combination of all three.

Nothing went right, and just when he was beginning to wonder if being taller was all it was cracked up to be, he shocked the boots off all the Riders by tripping Fishlegs with his bad leg and putting him in a chokehold to win a sparring session for the first time against his larger friend.

"Loki's serpents…" Ruffnut murmured as she stared wide-eyed at the scene.

Hiccup released Fishlegs, scrambling back looking from his own hands to the still prostrate Fishlegs. Fishlegs had flipped over and stared at Hiccup as if seeing him for the first time. Tuffnut socked Snotlout on the shoulder cackling and calling "Did you see that?" over and over again.

Astrid, though, squealed – an honest to Asgard squeal – like a thirteen year old girl, ran to Hiccup, threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "You did it, Hiccup! You did it!" she laughed. "I knew you would get there!"

Hiccup chuckled a bit and hugged her back quickly before pulling away and giving Fishlegs a hand up. It was a great moment that ended all too soon because that same afternoon, he tripped in the middle of the Plaza, ripped the back of his tunic open in the effort to catch himself before he hit the ground, and still managed to eat dirt. A couple of dozen villagers were in the Plaza at the time and saw the episode. Spitelout had laughed so hard he cried and had to sit down to catch his breath.

Hiccup untangled his feet and stood up huffing and blushing. All he wanted at that moment was Toothless and the sky. Unfortunately, that was the day that he couldn't fasten his riding vest, and he spent the next twenty-four hours in the forge completing his newest leg and reworking his and Toothless' entire flying set-up. After he finished, he finally flown until he was clear-headed and felt like himself again, then crashed in bed for the rest of the day.

The next morning, he landed Toothless in the Academy like he always did and thought nothing of it. However, all conversation ceased the moment he stepped off his dragon. He was wearing a whole new wardrobe. While he was working on his riding gear, Mrs. Ingerman had finished the red tunic and green breeches his father had ordered for him, and he hadn't even thought about it when he had dressed in them that morning. He also had on his newly crafted brown leather riding vest and his new foot. For the first time in a couple of weeks, he was standing straight at his unexpected new height of 5' 11 1/2". The tunic and vest fit his slim figure well, enhancing his broader shoulders and lean torso. With his shoulder guards, arm guantlets, and gronkle iron shield, he looked like a future chief for the first time in his life. Since his hair had also gotten long enough to flop in his eyes and get in way in the forge, he had taken the time to let Gobber cut it. Hiccup didn't know it, but he cut an attractive, impressive figure standing in the center of the ring with the light of the early morning sun shining down on him.

He quirked his eyebrows when Ruffnut's mouth dropped open and her eyes lost focus. She was nearly drooling and only came out of her stupor when Tuffnut got over his own shock long enough to elbow her hard in the ribs. Snotlout was crossing his arms and glaring at him from the far side of the arena mumbling something about Haddocks getting all the height.

Fishlegs' eyes bugged open. "Uh…Hi, Hiccup. You're looking…well, today."

Hiccup nodded warily. "Yeah…I finally finished my new foot…" He trailed off as Astrid came unusually close to him, inspecting his vest. "I…uh…I also have my new clothes, thanks to your mom," he added, turning back to Fishlegs. "And the sleep yesterday helped, too. Astrid, are you okay?" he asked, pulling back from her and ducking his head to meet her eyes, which had been glued to his nose while spoke.

Astrid shook her head and focused her gaze on his. "Oh…Yeah. I was just…I hadn't noticed till now how much taller you are than me. I was just…surprised. Fishlegs is right. You look like you feel better. We were beginning to worry when you didn't show up for two days, but Stoick told us you were working on stuff in the forge…and then…sleeping. Anyway, yeah, I'm fine."

Hiccup blinked and shook his head, still confused about what was going on with his friends, but he decided to brush it off because it wasn't as if they were the most predictable group in the Archipelago anyway. Soon they were flying towards the southernmost isle on his map for the day's explorations. By the time they reached their destination, the group was mostly back to normal. Only Astrid sticking closer to him than usual was different, but at least she wasn't staring at his nose anymore, he decided.

All that changed when they got back to Berk that night, though. No matter where he went in the village, he got stares and people locking eyes with his neck or chest before realizing he wasn't as short as he had been and adjusting their angle in surprise. All in all, it was a strange experience. They always seemed far more shocked than they should be for simply noticing his new height.

In the Great Hall for dinner, he had the most confusing moment of the day when Astrid had scooted right up next him on the bench after he sat down with his plate (which per the new normal was piled with bread, jerky, an apple, a puddle of honey and warm butter, and a big bowl of chicken stew to go with his large cup of yak milk). He couldn't fail to notice the gaggle of girls at the next table who were giggling in the Riders' direction, nor did he miss Astrid glaring back at the giggles. The twins were snorting into their stew. Snotlout was suddenly puffing his chest in a way he hadn't really done since they were fifteen, and Fishlegs was studiously ignoring everything. Hiccup took a page from his geeky friend's book and tucked into his food like a starved man.

The meal went on in a strange silence, except for the giggles and twitters from the next table. Hiccup was down to only his apple, honey, and milk when things got really odd. He had just begun to slice his apple to dip into the honey when out of nowhere, Astrid grabbed a tuft of hair behind his ear and started tugging on it. He yelped, dropped his dagger and apple in shock, and tried to pull away from her grip. "Astrid! What…What are you doing?"

The twins were doubled over in laughter at this point, and Snotlout was back to dark glares and muttering under his breath.

Hiccup tried to bat Astrid away as she started on a second lock of hair. She punched his shoulder. "Hold still. I'm not finished yet."

Hiccup huffed through his nose. "What in the name of Thor are you doing?" he demanded.

"I'm braiding your hair," she informed him.

"Braiding my…Braiding my hair? Why?"

At last she released him and gave the now silent girls a smug smile. Then she turned back to him. "Because it looks better that way," she replied simply.

Hiccup reached up to untie the braids. "Well, I-″

Astrid smacked the back of his hand. "Don't touch those braids, Haddock. I'll just put them back in if you do."

Hiccup gave her a flat look. "I'm not going to win this one, am I?"

Astrid stole a slice of his apple and took a bite. "Nope."

Hiccup sighed and rolled his eyes. "Odin help me," he muttered as he picked up his dagger and apple again.

Astrid just smiled as she finished the apple slice. Fishlegs unsuccessfully tried to hide his wide grin at the scene. The twins were still in stitches, making half-formed comments about the whole thing that Hiccup neither wanted nor was able to follow, and Snotlout was seething, in what Hiccup could only assume was jealousy. While Hiccup concluded that he somehow was at the center of all this weird behavior, he couldn't for the life of him work out what he had done to warrent it, so he pushed it from his mind and finished his apple in record time before excusing himself to go home for the night, hoping that things would be back to normal in the morning.

Things were only marginally better the next day. Hiccup wasn't at the Academy five minutes before Astrid all but pounced on him to redo the braids he had undone after returning home the night before. She even punched him in the shoulder – again – for not leaving them in like she had told him to do. At that point, he just decided to leave them be if it would get her back to being the Astrid he was used to because by Thor, he was already having to assimilate himself to his new leg, clothes, height, strength, broadness, appetite, sleeping patterns, and riding gear. The last thing he needed was to try to adjust to this new girly side of Astrid at the same time. He didn't mind that side of her, per se. In fact, he found it quite attractive, but if she could just hold off for another couple of months while he worked out the rest of his life, it would be a lot easier on him.

It took another couple of weeks, but eventually, the newness of Hiccup's look wore off enough for him to at least make his daily appearance without greeting slack jawed faces at every turn. People began to look less surprised by his physical features, and Hiccup grew used to all his new gear on his new body. Things leveled out, and he lost some of that excess clumsiness. Not to mention, once he got past the peak of the growth spurt, his appetite calmed down, nor did he feel so exhausted all the time, and he was finally shaking some of that moodiness and felt much more like himself. It was a welcome relief.

HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE

Despite all the changes, though, Hiccup was still skinny – a fact that Snotlout had taken to reminding him about on a regular basis, again. He made pointed remarks everyday about how much Hiccup just wasn't up to the standard Viking snuff. It grated on Hiccup's nerves, but he figured that since Snotlout was now the shortest of the group, he needed to let off steam about it. Hiccup let him rant.

Hiccup's training with Astrid continued, and he was pleasantly surprised to discover that over the course of his growth, he had gained enough muscle mass that lifting the weapons wasn't as difficult anymore. His height and reach also gave him more balance when wielding them. He didn't feel nearly so top heavy while trying to swing an axe or a mace. He had at last gained some coordination and started to give Astrid a run for her money during their training sessions.

It was an unusually warm day on Berk when Hiccup finally did what he had always thought would be impossible: win against Astrid. He wasn't sure how he had managed it, but he decided it had to be the warm sunny weather because for once he couldn't feel a bone-deep chill in his shoulders and back. Instead, his blood was pumping hot through his warm working muscles. His usually half-numb fingers had feeling, and his grip on his sword was sure and firm. His brain wasn't sluggish from trying to be in hibernation mode from the cold, and his bad leg didn't have so much as a twinge.

He had been engaged in a spar with her for so long he had lost track of the time. They were both sweating. She was fighting ferociously, and it was all he could do to keep up. The other Riders were scattered around watching the session. Snotlout and Ruffnut were cheering on Astrid, and Tuffnut and Fishlegs were supporting Hiccup. All four of the spectators were cheering and yelling out advice, but Hiccup had all his attention on Astrid.

"Give up yet, Haddock?" she asked as she swung her axe. The flat of the blade connected with his hip before he could block it.

Hiccup stumbled and made an, admittedly, wild one-handed slash with his sword in a half-circle, extending his arm completely, as he regained his balance. It was enough to give him time to secure his footing and force Astrid to jump back haphazardly to escape the tip of the blade. He looked up at from his half-crouch and smirked. "Not hardly," he answered breathlessly. He charged, and they were back at it.

They exchanged blows for a few more minutes, only grunting in their efforts of the fight, both still ignoring the Riders. At last, Hiccup managed to get in a hit that Astrid had to spin away from, and as her back was turned, he switched hands. When she turned around, she was instantly met with the sword, again, only from the opposite side she was expecting, and Hiccup used her moment of confusion to disarm her, tackle her, and hold her at sword-point to win the spar.

She stared up at him in shock. "I – uhh – I yield," she stammered.

Hiccup pulled the sword away. "Really?" he asked as he leaned back.

Astrid beamed at him and sat up. "Really!" she exclaimed. "You beat me, Hiccup! You beat me fair and square!"

A smile slowly spread across Hiccup's face, and he laughed as he stood up. "I won…" he breathed in disbelief. Then he turned to Fishlegs. "I won, Fishlegs! Can you believe it? I beat her!"

Fishlegs was cheering and laughing with Tuffnut. Astrid pulled Hiccup into a hug, and they twirled around for moment. "I'm so proud of you, Hiccup! Just wait until your dad hears!" she called.

Hiccup pulled away and wiped his brow, a smile locked firmly on his face. "He's going to be over the moon. No offense, Astrid, but this is awesome!" He laughed.

"None taken," she assured him as she gathered her axe from the ground and headed to the water barrel in the corner.

Ruffnut and Snotlout had at last joined the rest in the middle of the Academy. "Yeah, yeah…Kudos, Haddock," Ruffnut offered. The compliment sounded forced, but there was a smirk on her face as she glanced at him that told him she really was impressed. Then she rounded on Astrid, "Hofferson, however, is a disappointment to all of woman-kind. Really, you let this shrimp beat you? You are a blight on the name of shield maiden, young lady, and don't expect me to forget it."

Astrid's eyes were twinkling in spite of the rebuke as she guzzled a cup of water. She finished with a sigh, swiping her lip and handing the cup to Hiccup. She pointed at Ruffnut with the end of her axe as she walked back towards the group. "I seem to remember that 'this shrimp' beat you in a sparring session only three days ago and has been beating you consistently for the past year, yet you call me a 'blight on the name of shield maiden?' Pretty hypocritical, if you ask me."

Ruffnut put her hands on her waist and stuck her chest out. "HA! I never claimed to be a shield maiden, ergo I cannot possibly be a 'blight' on the title."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Ruff. I am proud of Hiccup. He has come a very long ways from when I first started training him. Seriously, swapping hands – that was an inspired move, dragon boy."

"Loki-inspired!" declared Tuffnut, wrapping an arm around Hiccup's shoulders and giving him a shake. "I always knew you would join the idiot twin and me in the art of Loki worship."

Hiccup carefully pulled out of Tuff's grip and laughed. "I think I'll leave the Loki worshipping to you, Tuffnut. It was just a good move for the situation, element of surprise and all."

"The key to any battle!" quipped Fishlegs, pointing a finger in the air.

"Yeah, well it all proves nothing," announced Snotlout. "So what? The pipsqueak can beat a girl. Let's face it, Astrid isn't exactly a big, bulky rock of a Viking either. And neither are the twins. And Fishy, here, is more flab than muscle and a soft-hearted whip to boot. The real test would against a real Viking, someone with some weight, someone strong, someone who's been training since they started walking, someone from a house of elite warrior Vikings."

Astrid cocked her hip and swung her axe onto her shoulder. "So…You want Hiccup to spar with Chief Stoick?"

Snotlout laughed loudly. "You're such a comedian, Astrid. Of course, I don't want Hiccup to spar with Stoick. Stoick would go easy on him because Hiccup is his precious 'ittle boy. No, I meant me." He gestured to himself. "Hiccup should fight me. I'm the perfect specimen of a young Viking."

"Well, you're a specimen of something, that's for sure" Fishlegs deadpanned.

Hiccup snorted into his cup. Astrid smirked, and the twins cackled.

Snotlout balled his fists and whirled on Fishlegs. "Shut-up, Fishface! I mean it. Until scrawny peg-leggy there can beat a fierce warrior, all this means nothing."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and sighed. "Fine, Snotlout. I'll fight you tomorrow."

"No."

Hiccup squinted his eyes as he looked at his cousin. "What?"

Snotlout stood up straighter, planting his fists on his hips, and adopted a haughty look. "I said no. In a real battle, you don't get to fight one person then wait a day to take on the next. You just go one after the other. I want to fight you now."

Hiccup held up a finger. "Let me get this straight. You want to me to spar with you now, just after I finished a half-hour long spar against arguably the best female warrior on this entire island?"

"Yup."

"These are sparring sessions to test my skills, Snotlout, not actual battles."

Snotlout crossed his arms. "Oh, is that so? Well, endurance is a battle skill, Hic-cup, or didn't you know that?"

Hiccup sighed. "You're being stupid, Snotlout, and we have dragon training to do, or did you forget that is the purpose of this academy?"

"Oh, I see! Our future chief is scared. I'm sure that Stoick the Vast will be real proud to hear that his son and heir refused a duel because he was _tired_. How about I go tell him that? After all, he's paying for these lessons. He has every right to know the truth of how they are going."

Hiccup paused in his walk towards Toothless, and his shoulders stiffened. He pursed his lips and breathed out through his nose. Then, he turned and marched back towards Snotlout. "Fine. You want to spar. Get your weapon. The rest of you clear the floor. You're going to eat your words, Snotlout."

HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE HTTYD RTTE

Angry Hiccup with a sword was both terrifying and incredible, in Astrid's opinion. Also, kinda hot. She had been on the receiving end of his concentrated fighting stare more times than she could count, and she had watched him spar against others plenty of times, too. This spar was different, though. He had taken on Snotlout before, but this time, Snotlout had brought out something in Hiccup that was nearly always locked tightly away. There was a ferocity in his moves that made her almost worried for Snotlout's health. Almost. Snotlout was being a jerk after all.

Hiccup was pressing Snotlout hard, not giving him any room to make a wrong move. That was the thing Astrid had learned about Hiccup: he thought through every move. It was a detriment in many cases while in the middle of a fight because there simply isn't time to think about every single move, as he could in a game of Maces and Talons. She had busted both their rears training him some automatic responses, muscle memories, into him. She had pushed him, not letting up on him, forcing him to just move instead of think during a spar, but when he had the upper hand in a fight, his brain was instantly turned on, thinking out a strategy. If he was in command of the spar, he had more of an advantage than most because he could think and plan so quick, even while otherwise occupied. When that had first happened during a spar with him, she had been stunned and nearly lost right then. It was only her own muscle memory and years of experience that had let her stay in the game and regain the offensive.

As she watched now, she knew exactly what Hiccup was doing: force Snotlout into such a tight position that he has no room to get a hit in, thereby giving Hiccup basically all the maneuverability. Snotlout relied on his strength and sheer size to win in fights, so Hiccup was doing what he did best: out-thinking and out-maneuvering his duller, bulkier cousin.

Snotlout's blows were hard and heavy, despite his lack of room. Hiccup lost his footing for a moment, but he spun around and returned the move so fast, Snotlout didn't get to capitalize on the opportunity to take the offensive position. He looked gob-smacked when Hiccup's sword was coming back at him only a breath after his own blow had made Hiccup stumble, and he barely had time to block Hiccup's strong downward arc.

"By Odin…" Fishlegs breathed, "he's speeding up!" He pointed to Hiccup, who had indeed pressed Snotlout against the wall and was swinging his sword fast enough for the Riders to nearly lose track of it.

"He is so ticked!" Ruffnut shouted, laughing at the spectacle below them.

Tuffnut snickered. "Snotlout is going to be feeling this fight for days. I can't wait to see him limp around the village."

Astrid raised her eyebrows and grabbed the railing. "And those are strong blows. It's like Snotlout unleashed a demon."

With one last mighty heave, Hiccup locked his sword with Snotlout's, twisted, and wrenched it from his cousin's grip. It flew behind the two of them and landed halfway across the arena. Snotlout was leaning against the wall, his knees bent and chest heaving. His eyes were wide, staring at Hiccup who had the sword tip touching the laces of Snotlout's tunic. "Do you yield, Jorgenson?" Hiccup demanded. His own chest was heaving. Sweat dripped off the ends of his hair and the bottom of his chin and the fist curled around his sword's grip.

Astrid gripped the railing tighter as her knees went weak. Snotlout gulped and nodded quickly.

"And you admit, here and now, in the presence of these witnesses, that I have soundly defeated you fair and square in a friendly spar that you demanded?"

"Ye-Ye-Yeah…Fair and square," Snotlout stammered.

Hiccup nodded once, lowered his sword and relaxed his stance. "Good," he replied, his voice still firm but far less stern.

Snotlout only continued to stare wide-eyed at Hiccup. After a moment, Hiccup stuck his hand out. It took another beat, but at last, Snotlout slowly reached out and gripped it. Hiccup pulled the shorter man to his feet and then shook his opponent's hand. "Still friends?" Hiccup asked.

Snotlout nodded. "Still friends," he agreed.

Astrid and the others raced into the arena. She threw her arms around Hiccup and kissed his cheek. "You did it, Hiccup! You won!" She wiped her lips with the back of her hand. "You're also sweaty."

He smiled at her. "I did, and it's all thanks to you. You're the one who taught me how to fight." He rubbed the back of his head. "And sorry about the sweat," he added ruefully.

She pulled away from him, still smiling. "You've been an excellent student, Hiccup. I couldn't be prouder."

"Yeah! That was awesome!" Tuffnut proclaimed. He started miming a fight against Ruffnut. "You were all like, wham, bam, smack, wham, wham, bam!"

Ruffnut cringed and cowered with every "blow" from Tuffnut. "Yeah, and Snotlout was all, 'Please don't hit me, Hiccup,'" she mocked in a tinny voice raising her arms in surrender.

Snotlout crossed his arms and glowered at the pair. "Jorgensons do not beg for mercy," he retorted.

Fishlegs cocked his head and widened his eyes. "Well…you were nearly on your knees, so…"

Snotlout rounded on Fishlegs and snarled. Hiccup stepped between them, hands raised in a placating manner. "Hey, hey. Snotlout put up a great fight. Stop picking on him, and no one doubts your abilities, Snotlout. You're a great asset to Berk as a warrior."

Snotlout sniffed and raised his head like a proud dragon. "Exactly. A great asset," he repeated pointedly at the twins.

"Okay," Hiccup started, "now that that is settled. You all can the rest of the day off. I'm in dire need of a bath, and I'm exhausted. Don't blow up Berk. I'll see you tomorrow."

The twins and Snotlout whooped and dashed out of the Academy. Fishlegs was slower, but he soon was flying out on Meatlug talking about investigating some new flora he had discovered in the forest.

"I am going to tell Stoick about your session today," Astrid stated as she mounted Stormfly.

Hiccup groaned. "That's not necessary. He'll just turn into proud dad in front of like half the village and want me to regale everyone with a blow-by-blow account of the whole thing, and I just really don't want to have to deal with all that unwarranted attention."

"Unwarranted – Unwarranted attention!" Astrid exclaimed in disbelief. "What I have been seeing from you lately most certainly warrants attention, especially since you are Berk's future chief. You may not think so because you have a peacemaker's mindset, but you are a skilled warrior, Hiccup. Never doubt that. You are a formidable enemy."

Hiccup swung himself onto Toothless' back. "I suppose it is kind of cool that I beat you and Snotlout in one day, but I don't know that I can replicate that."

The dragons flew out of the academy. "If somebody says the right things like Snotlout did today, you can most certainly replicate that – and then some, Hiccup."

Hiccup sighed and cast his gaze higher into the sky. "But I don't like part of me, Astrid. Snotlout was being a jerk, and he deserved to be put in his place. I scared him, though, and I don't want to be known as a chief who rules his people through fear. I want them to trust me, to respect me for my abilities beyond the battlefield. I want Berk's allies to also be her friends, not just too scared to cross her chief."

The dragons passed over Berk and continued over the forest. Astrid kept quiet, contemplating her response as the pair finally came to a cliff overlooking the sea at Raven's Point. Astrid and Hiccup dismounted, and the dragons took off to play along the edge of the forest. Hiccup sat down at the edge of the cliff, though, looking deep in thought. Astrid took a seat beside him. At last, she rested her hand on his knee and caught his gaze when he turned to look at her. "I know you are a person who values wisdom and strength of mind over brute strength of body, and I…respect that about you. I like it, even. I think it's one of your best qualities. But you know, Hiccup, that you're going to have to be able to be intimidating sometimes. You're going to have to be able to back up that strong mind of yours with a strong sword-stroke. Berk will always have enemies, and she will need you to be in the front of the battle line, leading the charge, being frightening, if – no, when it comes to it."

Hiccup breathed out and looked down. After a moment, he grabbed the hand that still rested on his knee and gave it a squeeze. "You're right, of course," he admitted quietly. "Where would I be without you here to talk sense into me?" He looked back up and gave her a half-grin.

She shook her head and laughed lightly. "Probably half-way to Rome by now. Just you and Toothless scraping by, getting into trouble every other day, and terrifying the locals of whatever village you were passing through."

Hiccup laughed and turned back to look at the horizon. "That doesn't sound that bad, actually. Exploring the world beyond the Archipelago, meeting new civilizations, finding out what else is out there…I'm sure Dad would never let us go, but for the sake of conversation, let's say he did. Would you go with me?"

Astrid gave him a confused smile. "Go where?"

"Out there," he answered as he gestured to the horizon. His voice held a silent "of couse" in it.

"So just take off and see what happens?" she asked.

Hiccup laughed. "Yes! We could go, fly our dragons, expand our map, learn about new dragons, meet new people, just see what is beyond…here. There's a whole world beyond our little spot, and I want to know what's in it. I was just wondering if you would go with me, if we ever had the opportunity. I guess, my dream would be to take all the Riders, set up a base of sorts, and spend some real time learning the things that no one else in Berk has dared to go learn."

Astrid shrugged and gazed at the vast ocean before them. "You never know, Stoick just might let you do that."

Hiccup shook his head. "Nah, he's too concerned for my safety and with my chief lessons. He wouldn't let me – or any of the rest of us, for that matter – do that, not unless there was a really good reason."

Astrid draped an arm around his shoulders. "Well, rest assured, that if he ever does give you leave to take off and explore the un-known world, then, yes, I would go with you. After all, somebody has to keep you out of trouble."

Hiccup nudged her in mock offense. "Hush up, you."

She pulled away cackling as he smirked at her, pulled up a few blades of grass, and feathered them with his thumb. Astrid settled into silence, and they sat in quiet companionship, letting the sun warm them and a breeze blew the briny scent of the sea their way. After several minutes, Astrid leaned towards Hiccup. "You'll see the world one day, Hiccup. I know it, and if it's at all possible, I'll go with you. And people will see you both as a wise, steadfast leader of our village and fierce protector of it as well. If anyone can manage that balance, it's you. You've already proven it – more than once."

Hiccup smiled at her gratefully. Then, he sighed and turned to look at where the dragons had settled down for a nap after their chase in the trees. "I guess we should be headed back. I'm supposed to be at Karlsson wedding tonight, learning how to officiate one, and I still need to take a dip in the baths."

Astrid stood up and held out a hand to Hiccup. "Then come on, you smelly Viking. You can't be late for the Karlsson wedding. Eevi is my neighbor, and she will punch you if you mess up her wedding by being late, chief's son or not."

Hiccup let her pull him up and groaned. "Gods…A stressed bride…That's grreeaat. I always manage to mess something up at those weddings…knock something over, walk in late, stumble through a toast…I swear the honey-month is my saving grace every time. The glares they give me at the ceremony and feast could melt stone."

Astrid laughed as they mounted Stormfly and Toothless. "Cheer up, Hiccup. At the last wedding you attended, you only stepped on the toes of the bride's mother."

"Yes, with my metal foot while she was walking barefooted on the stone hearth of the Great Hall, preparing to perform a special dance that she had spent months preparing for her only daughter's nuptials, which she was then unable to perform because I broke two of her toes. Nothing big at all."

Astrid tried to contort the wide smile on her face into a frown, but it wound up somewhere halfway in between as a strange amused grimace. "Well, it's still better than the time that Toothless gate-crashed that wedding and drank half the couple's honey mead and then proceeded to vomit on the bride and groom while you were congratulating them before staggering into the feast table, dumping half the food on the floor, then passing out at the feet of the musicians, and snoring loud enough to rattle the benches."

Hiccup blanched. "Oh gods," he moaned, "that one was really bad. I don't think Yaegar or Sachi have forgiven me for that experience yet. Probably never will…And that's enough reminiscing on my great wedding failures. Let's go, bud." He nudged Toothless, and they took off into the air with Astrid and Stormfly hot on their tail.

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Viggo Grimborn was a whole new breed of villain in the Viking world. Hiccup was accustomed to being belittled because of his size and strength, but he was also accustomed to being the smartest in the room. Viggo changed that. His thinly veiled insults and questions about Hiccup's ability to lead, to plan battles, to manage monies and calculate risks of investments, and his jabs at Hiccup's decisions regarding his relationships with the other Riders, Astrid especially, got under Hiccup's skin more than any insult to his size ever had. The very positive attributes he had striven to be known for took a beating from Viggo's tongue. Learning how to manage an enemy like Viggo was a long and hard-taught lesson.

It was while his pride was being smacked around by a wealthy dragon hunter that Hiccup let go of any pride in his size. He was more than proficient with a sword. He could hold his own with a bow. He was excellent with a shield. He was capable with many other weapons, and anything that he couldn't use, would just be something that he wouldn't use. Not to mention, he was the best dragon trainer and flyer in the Archipelago. He was able to command any of the other Riders' dragons and could train almost any wild ones that they encountered. His smaller size was of no consequence when he could have a whole herd of dragons at his beck and call. It only mattered what kind of leader – nay, what kind of chief – he was becoming. If he failed at managing six people on an outpost, he could never hope to manage an entire tribe back on Berk. That it was Dagur the Deranged that put him on the path to that thought was a twist he would have never seen coming.

It was after that experience with a marooned Dagur, however, that Hiccup changed his focus from defeating the Grimborns to being the best leader he could be, and that became the change that made all the difference. It cleared his mind of excess worries. He was more at peace. He had more fun. His friends enjoyed his company far more. When they did engage the hunters, they eventually met with success, defeating and dismantling the entire Grimborn operation.

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Standing on the beach of the Dragon Sanctuary that his mother had established with the help of the White Alpha, a battle of epic proportions waging around them, being circled by Drago Bludvist felt like old territory to Hiccup. The insane man stared him down, a malicious smile on his face. "This is the great Dragon Master? The son of Stoick the Vast? What shame he must feel."

Hiccup didn't so much as blink at the insult. He held his head high, back straight, and ignored the barb entirely. He wasn't fifteen and insecure anymore. Defending his slighter stature wasn't worth the energy, not when lives were at stake. He was the future chief not only because it was his birthright but also because he earned it. His people trusted him to defend them, to protect them, to keep their village at peace, and to keep them and their dragons safe. He gestured to the battle around them. "All this loss, and for what? To become unstoppable? To rule the world? That's it, isn't it? You don't need dragons to defeat other dragons. You need dragons to defeat people." Drago laughed, and all pretenses dropped.

Five minutes later, Hiccup's world fell apart, and having pride in anything seemed to be the most frivolous of goals.

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Astrid had seen Hiccup defeated. She had stood beside him the day that his father disowned him and sailed for the Dragon's Nest with Toothless in tow. She had watched him as he had sat at a loss inside his family hut when Stoick had been taken to Outcast Island by Dagur. She had flown beside him on the silent flight back to Dragon's Edge after Viggo had taken the Dragon Eye from him. She had been there when Krogan and the Fliers had forced them from their base and set up his own operation there. She had been with him for nearly every one of his defeats since they were fifteen years old, but this was different. Stoick was dead, had been killed by Toothless. Stoick's final act had been to save Hiccup's life, and then Drago had taken Toothless. Hiccup wasn't just defeated; he was utterly lost.

He had hardly said a word, not even really acknowledged anyone since the whole thing happened. His silence was worrying. The blank look on his face was frightening. Astrid could only follow him and the other men as they carried Stoick's body to the boat they had salvaged for the funeral. She could barely look on as they heaved the chief onto the platform. Her own chest was so tight she could hardly breathe. Stoick was more than just a chief to her. He always had been, even long before she had anything to do with Hiccup. She had always looked up the man. He was the elite warrior she wished to emulate. She had striven to make the man proud, even as a young girl. She had lost a great mentor and a loving father-figure, and as she watched Hiccup kneel beside his father's body, shoulders heaving, saying his final good-byes, she feared she may have lost the love of her life as well.

Astrid silently passed bows and arrows to the collected group on the beach. Ruffnut built a small fire. Everyone formed a line. Gobber took two bows and arrows as Hiccup took his place in front of the group.

"May the Valkyries welcome you and lead you through Odin's great battlefield. May they sing your name with love and fury, so that we may hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla and know that you have taken your rightful place at the table of kings. For a great man has fallen: A warrior. A chieftain. A father. A friend." Astrid marveled that any of them were able to hit the boat with their arrows as they aimed through the tears in their eyes.

When Hiccup at last began to speak, she wanted nothing more than to pull him into her arms and hold him indefinitely. His words halted, and before Astrid could move, Valka had gotten to him, but when Hiccup was able to get through his eulogy after relayed the memory of Hiccup's birth, Astrid couldn't bring herself to be jealous or angry. Hiccup's posture straightened as he spoke. His voice clearer with every word. Then he turned and met her gaze. She squared her shoulders and raised her chin.

"A chief protects his own. We're going back." Hiccup looked at them all with a steady gaze. His mouth was set in that way that told those who knew him best that his mind was made up and that he had a plan. The Riders and Gobber all straightened. Eret and Valka took their cue from the others and gave Hiccup their attention. Astrid caught his eye, again, and smiled. Berk's heir was not lost. He was not giving up or folding under pressure from Drago. Just as he had rallied every other time in the past, he was doing it, again, and Astrid couldn't be prouder.

And the following day, when Hiccup stood before all of Berk as their chief for the first time, having just defeated Drago and his Bewilderbeast, Astrid beamed as he straightened his posture, again. She could tell that his grief, exhaustion, anxiety, and fear were shoved as far down as he could manage in the moment, but he raised his head high, just as his father had taught him, and nodded, accepting the Berkians' approval of him, a skinny, wiry runt to be sure, but also a smart, wise, determined, and capable Viking leader.

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 **A/N: Random thought…If Hiccup were a bug, he would be Flik, the ant from** _ **A Bug's Life**_ **.**

 **I hope this met your standards. I'm not sure it does mine, especially the ending, but nevertheless, here it is. I've just always been impressed with how Hiccup just stood there when Drago insults his size in the second film. He gets all bent out of shape in the first film when his size is brought up, but by the time of the second one, Hiccup just stands there and stares at this mountain of a lunatic with an entire dragon army, complete with a Bewilderbeast, at his disposal. It's proof of some real maturity and character development that I wanted to explore. Thanks for reading.**


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